COVID BOOSTER VACCINE MANDATE 

As anticipated, the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) has modified the Public Health Law on the Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission by Covered Entities to require that “Covered entities shall continuously require personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and to have received any booster or supplemental dose as recommended by the CDC.” The order broadly defines “covered personnel” as “all persons employed or affiliated with a covered entity, whether paid or unpaid, including but not limited to employees, members of the medical and nursing staff, contract staff, students, and volunteers, who engage in activities such that if they were infected with COVID-19, they could potentially expose other covered personnel, patients or residents to the disease.”

To further clarify, this mandate applies to all Stony Brook University Hospital employees, Renaissance School of Medicine clinical faculty and clinical staff, and all other employees who physically work in the hospital or any other patient-facing areas and come in contact with hospital employees or patients.

Those who are currently eligible to obtain the booster must do so by Monday, February 21. Those not yet eligible to receive the booster, must obtain the booster within 30 days of their eligibility. This mandate excludes only those employees who have been granted an exemption as defined by the NYS Department of Health.

Booster Eligibility
As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you are eligible for the booster:

• If you have received your second dose of the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine at least five months ago.

• If you have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

• If after you are fully vaccinated as above and have had a recent COVID positive test, you meet the return-to-work criteria, are back working and it has been 10 days since your positive test.

If you are considered to be immunosuppressed (either underlying condition or therapy), please consult your own physician or the medical consultants at the location where you receive your booster.

Employee Booster POD: January 25, 7:30 am to 4 pm
The next in-house booster POD for all Stony Brook University Hospital faculty, staff and students on clinical rotation will be held on Tuesday, January 25, from 7:30 am to 4 pm, in the Health Sciences building, Level 3, Room 152. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson boosters will be administered. Those who initially received the Moderna vaccine can also receive the Pfizer or J&J booster.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended. Click here to make an appointment. 

Booster Status Reporting

If your booster eligibility date has already passed, you are required to obtain the booster vaccine and submit evidence of such on or before Monday, February 21.

• Clinical Employees and those with Hospital Access: submit proof to Employee Health and Wellness either by email using your Stony Brook Medicine email address, which is secure for these types of emails, or confidential fax at (631) 444-6199. 

• All other employees: submit proof to Human Resource Services by fax at (631) 632-6621 or bring a copy in person to Administration Building Room 390.

Acceptable proof includes a copy of the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, the pharmacy record or a printout from an Excelsior Pass Plus that includes the date and type of vaccination.

The Stony Brook R&D vaccine POD continues to offer Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines Monday through Saturday, 8 am to 6:30 pm, and Sunday, 8 am to noon. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, visit the NYS “Am I Eligible” website. Employees who receive their booster at the R&D vaccine POD or at any location other than the hospital PODs must submit evidence to Employee Health.

Thank you for your cooperation to ensure everyone’s safety during this time.